Not So Happy Ending
by Atellix
Summary: Cassandra feels her hopes are ruined as she begins to realize what her actions have done. Cassandra/Jake, takes place during "And The Fables of Doom".
1. Not So Happy Ending

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the brilliant characters of The Librarians, nor do I claim the dialogue as my own. But I do find it creative enough to get my juices flowing. So my eternal thanks to Dean Devlin and John Rogers for creating such awesome characters and situations.

**Author's Notes:** I haven't written any fanfiction in... four years? How crazy is that? Seriously, the best thing to get through a dry writing spell is to tap back into fanfiction.

**Spoilers:** Definite spoilers for The Librarians and the Fables of Doom (1x06). You've been warned.

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><p>If there was one thing Cassandra hated more than anything in the world, it was dwelling. Dwelling was distracting. It made her brain shift into a lower gear, making her feel slow and useless. And when she did nothing but tread water with the same idea, sooner or later her synethesia would do more than just make her feel guilty — it would take that guilt to a whole new level and put it on repeat.<p>

Feeling guilty and being synesthetic was not a good combination. She would do whatever she could to revisit her guilt at all costs.

Which is why, when Eve suggested Cassandra partner up with Jake to go and follow up with the sheriff, Cassandra tried to carefully find a way out. It was better than she try to get out of the combination before Jake did. It was bad enough that he didn't trust her. She didn't need him outright rejecting her too.

So when Eve made the pairs, Cassandra chimed in. "Maybe I should go with you."

Eve practically cut her off. "You and Stone. Work together. Got it?"

Cassandra knew the tone well. It was her ex-military tone, the not-up-for-discussion tone. Cassandra was stuck. But before she could respond, she heard Jake's voice, light and carefree, as if discussing his favourite artistic period. "Yeah, no problem."

They were silent during the walk into town. Cassandra did her best not to look at Jake, to focus on the steps she was taking and what had caused the accident. Had he forgiven her? He'd shown her more than enough kindness during the last few cases they had worked. She felt that maybe they'd formed a bond, a connection that forgave the first sin she had committed of betraying the group. He was the only one who could help stop the endless spiral of connections her synesthesia caused. Maybe that was enough.

So, as they approached Bremen City Hall, Cassandra took a chance. "Thank you."

Jake looked at her. "What?"

Cassandra kept her hands clasped tightly in front of her as she spoke. "Um, I didn't think you'd want to work with me."

Jake smiled. "I told you Cassandra, I can work with ya." His smile quickly developed into a grin. "I like ya."

Cassandra's own smile widened with each sentence. Maybe she was right. Maybe he had forgiven her. But any hope she had quickly dissipated as he finished his thought. He shrugged and gave her a grin. "I just don't trust ya."

Cassandra didn't know whether it was the casual shrugging off he gave or the smile that accompanied the comment, but it struck her deeply and painfully. She spoke as clearly and carefully as she could, trying not to let the hurt creep so easily into her voice. "So what am I supposed to do? Just keep running around trying to regain your trust?"

Jake shook his head. "Nope." He looked at her, wearing a smile and giving another shrug. "No, I'm cool with the way it is."

Cassandra couldn't tell if he was just playing with her or not. He was okay with not trusting her? How was that even possible? Did that mean that helping her, everything he had done so far, really meant less to him than it did to her?

She felt as though she'd been sucker-punched in the gut, while Jake looked at though he didn't care. With the expression he was wearing as the sheriff approached, he could just as easily have been talking about the weather. As they discussed the photos, Cassandra wondered if this was the way it was doomed to be now.

It wasn't until the end of the day when everything was said and done that Cassandra saw the irony. The conversation with Jake, the fairy tale book, and her playing the role of Prince Charming (at least, before Jamie made her into Merlin).

Prince Charming was always the guy who saved the day. He was the guy that everybody loved, who could do no wrong. But Jenkins had been right. The heroes, the guys just trying to do right, save a life. They had the most terrible fates of all.

Cassandra might have been cast as Prince Charming, but she didn't fit the archetype at all. If that were true, she never would have put herself before everyone else. She never would have betrayed her team to save herself. Charming would have sacrificed his own life before letting down those who trusted him.

Cassandra as Prince Charming. Charming. Handsome. Strong. Strong as steel. Strong as stone. Stone.

Jake Stone.

Jake.

Cassandra blew out a breath as she rolled over in bed. Jenkins was definitely right. At the rate she was going, she would never get her happy ending.


	2. Prince Charming and The Huntsman

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the brilliant characters of The Librarians, nor do I claim the dialogue as my own. But I do find it creative enough to get my juices flowing. So my eternal thanks to Dean Devlin and John Rogers for creating such awesome characters and situations.

**Author's Notes:** I wasn't planning on anything past a one-shot, but with how many people enjoyed the piece, I thought maybe we should get Jake's thoughts too. Special thanks to _Tacodestroyeravenger_ for reviewing the first chapter. **_Please review. I'm always looking for feedback!_**

**Spoilers:** Definite spoilers for _The Librarians and the Fables of Doom _(1x06). You've been warned.

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><p>Jake wasn't sure whether it was the fairy tales mission that got to him or the doe eyes of a certain redhead, but he didn't see sleep coming to visit him any time soon.<p>

He thought maybe it had all settled, this thing between him and Cassandra. Trust came first for him, above everything. You couldn't build anything without trust, not a friendship, not a relationship. He'd learned that the hard way once before. He wasn't a guy who willingly made the same mistake twice.

He played over the day's events in his mind. Colonel Baird paired them up, Cassandra with Jake. No problems on his end. But he also wasn't surprised when Cassandra spoke up. "Maybe I should go with you," she'd said to Eve.

Eve's decision was final, and so the two went off. Jake didn't have a problem with the pairing, and he said so. In some way, he almost took pleasure in seeing Cassandra get flustered. It was a little more than cute. It almost made her into a schoolgirl, and he could almost picture her in a—

Jake stopped that thought. He'd made it more than clear when he talked to Cassandra. She'd thanked him for letting her work with him, and he'd been honest with her. He could work with her, sure. Hell, he even liked her. Who wouldn't? She was a lithe little ginger with a permanent smile and a perky attitude. She appreciated art. Oh, and she was brilliant. He definitely liked her.

Trust, however, was another issue.

He wondered if maybe he had led her on at some point. Hell, he'd almost led himself on at one point. He almost felt that while the group could appreciate her skill, they didn't really appreciate _her_. They didn't see her the way he did.

The first time he met her, he found out she was sick. Within ten minutes of meeting her, their relationship, partnership, whatever you called it... it already had a deadline. She was sick. Tumor, responsible for the synesthesia. Within minutes of meeting her, he already felt as though he wanted to protect her, that she _needed_ protecting.

It wasn't just that though. When she started thinking, really thinking, it could cause her to spiral. And somehow, for whatever reason, he knew how to reach her in those moments. He could help her ground herself again. It was something they'd been practicing, trying to help her find her way back to them.

Maybe, he was just trying to help her find a way back to him.

But none of that mattered now. Because she'd broken his trust. He'd let her in so easily, and she'd reminded him so quickly why that was never a good idea.

He felt that he'd walked that fine line again between admiration and trust. He remembered the conversation they'd had after defeating the Minotaur.

_"I like ya, Cassie. There's no way around it. I just do. But I trusted ya. And, uh, I learned my lesson. It's not — look — it always ends bad. So... always best_._"_

She'd been hurt. He'd seen it all over her face. But it wasn't something he could help.

Oh, how he wanted to though.

If he could just tell her the whole story, then maybe... but he couldn't. Not yet.

He just hoped that maybe she could hear what he was really saying through the lack of trust. He liked her. He told her flat out that he liked her. Twice.

He couldn't help but laugh at the irony. The spell had turned Cassie into Prince Charming, made everyone in town love her just as soon as look at her.

He'd already done that without a spell.

Lying in bed now, he wondered if maybe he could try. Give it a shot. Not trust her completely but enough. He already was doing that to a certain extent. He knew she'd have his back as he fought the wolves. And the dragons before that. With each challenge they faced together, he found that he was willing to trust his back to her more and more.

If there was one thing that he'd learned from all this fairy tale stuff, it was that happy endings and heroes weren't all they were cracked up to be. Cassandra mentioned to him later that they were all fulfilling archetypes. He was The Huntsman, the man who saved the day, but stood alone.

She was Prince Charming. The one who never gave up. Who always tried to do the right thing.

Jake grinned in the darkness at the thought. Prince Charming and The Huntsman. What a combination they'd make.

Maybe he'd talk to her about it tomorrow.

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><p><strong><em>Please review. I'm always looking for feedback!<em>**

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><p><strong>To My Reviewers:<strong>

**Tacodestroyeravenger** – I definitely agree with you! I totally thought that they might have kept their powers, if only for a short time. That would definitely be an interesting story to play with! Thank you so much for the supportive feedback! I hope you enjoy this installment just as much!


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